, said professor Joshua Weitz of the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech. The absence of a mask requirement"significantly" increases the risk that the virus will be transmitted, he told NPR."The risk should not be a surprise to anyone in leadership," he said."We have a limited time to change course."
The majority of Georgia Tech faculty wants the school to have autonomy to determine how best to reopen. They say decisions about how to educate Georgia Tech students are best left to school officials including Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. The Georgia Board of Regents has not responded to NPR's requests for comment. But in response to an earlier petition to require masks on Georgia campuses, a University System of Georgia spokesperson said it was following COVID-19 guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Professor Devesh Ranjan, who helped write the letter, said he's optimistic that Georgia Tech's administration agrees with faculty who say an in-person mask-optional return is too risky."We suspect they would not actively oppose faculty taking the decision to have most courses online," Ranjan told NPR."In the final analysis faculty will choose to do what they think is ethically correct.
Georgia is unique in that the state's education board has imposed mandates across the entire public higher education program of 26 colleges and universities — sometimes directly at odds with the wishes of individual schools. Georgia Tech already ran up against this in March when school officials ordered an immediate campus shutdown and a move to online education; the University System of Georgia wanted the school to only stay closed for two weeks.
Here is an analysis of Covid-19 in the counties in GA which have USG units within their boundaries at 3 dates. There are 2 reports. The second will be in the following Tweet. 1/2 GovKemp GaDPH Holly_Lanier1 drmt
I'll just leave this here. Georgia Tech, August 24.
Masks do not work and medical professionals are being silenced. There are vapor tests proving this, then they get deleted. Vapor 110-135 NM, the average size of COVID is 125 NM. Masks protect the person wearing, not those around.
🤦🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤡🚮
Not much tech at GeorgiaTech
If U of Georgia has students taking zinc and tanning to keep vit D working, Ivermectine & Doxy as well as Zelenko Protocol ready for early treatment & pulse oxymeters, then they are the safest place in the US. That is more important than masks.
go on line get a 4 yr degree in 18 months skip the pain
This is about football. That’s it. What a racket.
So could the students who will otherwise be sent home by ICE transfer in?
Well let's see how that works out for them.
Masks mandated as of one hour ago! Thank you, !
It’s all about the money...
Plus this
That won’t last two weeks.
Increased COVID19 transmission goes well with campus concealed carry. Way to go, Georgia! Hello, faculty union
It’s quite clear at this point that they don’t care about their student population. The irony of pursuing higher education yet pulling a stunt like this...
Faculty have a union? If not, time to form one.
The professors are only saying that based on literally 100% of the information we currently have about the virus.
These schools will shutdown within a month of opening
That’s one way to get rid of your tenured professors.
GovKemp this is a travesty and borders on criminal. Do something...no, really, actually DO something!!!
A general strike is needed, teachers, students, all other staff. Just say no.
Its not going to happen. These universities just want the students to signup & pay-up then classes will be moved online once the school years start. Its a scam. Students should take the year off, paying full price for an online education is not worth it.
Umm jdmyers we won’t be flying your UGA flag this year unless they dobetter.
AngelaKrebs444 Time to transfer
'professors say' Jesus fucking Christ, you guys, seriously?
what could possibly go wrong?
I’m a grad student at UGA. I spent my first year of grad school in treatment for cancer. Now I have to risk my life and expose myself to COVID in order to finish my degrees. It’s absurd to pursue a Master of Public Health degree while my school is an example of what not to do.
Get new professors.
wareslab Totally irresponsible not to require masks. School leaders, faculty, & students need to push back hard, or classes will quickly go back online, as infection blows through classrooms, dorms, etc. And they still want to charge out-of-state tuition? universityofga URMIAnetwork
The Republican led states have obviously agreed upon economy over dead bodies.
There are petitions from faculty across the state of Georgia in an attempt to convince the USG to change their decision on this. Their lack of integrity is a risk to everyone.
places_we_made I'm curious how the university attornies are weighing in on this issue. Are the professors and students going to be asked to sign a liability release before classes start... you know, just in case they become sick, disabled, or maybe even die? Good luck on that one, university🤔
Institutions of higher learning.
Welp, looks like I’m canceling multiple USG graduate applications 👋
this is why when Americans want 2 portray someone stupendously stupid they put on a southern accent. sorry liberal dems trapped in a MAGAt state. (my husband & his trump hating family r southern. but enlightened & nice) and boy they are surrounded by racists. MAGA fear kills
Easy to say on July 6th. Even they know that's complete bullshit.
We must return to normal. Allow elderly and vulnerable to opt-out. We need to protect the frail, but everyone else must get back to learning and living life. Our policy “medicine” is worse than the COVID disease!
it's all about football season
Just because they do, it's the student/parents ( if they're footing the bill ) choice on if they show up. I wouldn't want my kids to take the chance.
My kid wouldn’t be attending.
Brendajurgens3 Aren't most public university system regents political appointees?
Go figure a governor who stole an election would have zero regard for constituents of that state.
This what happens when people allow politics to outweigh science. GOP wants to appear strong... STUDENT LIVES MATTER
MISNOMER. You called UGA a 'top public university.' NOT ANYMORE!
If Georgia Tech goes thru with this, they should lose their credentialing as a top STEM school.
Well let's be honest, not a lot of bright folks in the south. They've proven that more than once
Doo is TN Tech Univ in Cookeville, TN. They're also planning in-person orientation next week while TN cases are soaring.
Commensenseology must not be a class at Georgia Tech.
What's the matter with these Republican controlled states? Are they stupid or are they stupid? The answer seems clear.
PreAnteDiluvian People don't talk about a ramblin' wreck from Georgia Tech for nothing.
smartdissent Well of course it is—all about $$$
smartdissent They are pushing back at UVM too.
BrendanNyhan In the next month it will all get cancelled
Covid19GA From last Monday (06/29) to this Monday (07/06) cases are UP 23% statewide, UP 47% in the county I work in, and UP 56% at the local University! It's beyond comprehension that BrianKempGA & the USG are even considering reopening campuses for Fall Semester! 💜🐸💜
lprubin73 I was a wreck before I became a Rambling Wreck GeorgiaTech (Master of City Planning 93) but this is a train wreck. Trust science and my colleagues at the NorthAvenueTradeSchool
Perpetuating profound ignorance at an institution of higher education 🙄
How can professionals be so stupid
Georgia Governor supports the genocide of people of color all across America!
Rachelpachel97
AAUP also for uninsured adjuncts.... a total nightmare
I expect there will be a large protest at the Arches in downtown Athens. The young people aren't going for this and neither are the professors.
Thanks for covering our attempts to change minds of GovKemp and BORUSG. As cases and deaths sadly spike we hope a mask mandate will come as effect.
The university president and board should be held legally responsible for all infections and deaths that occur due to their ignorance and blatant negligence!😡
This sounds like Iowa Public Schools. Horrifying.
InSpiteOfTrump 800 of 1,100 faculty published letter outlining concerns.Letter criticizes state uni system for mandating reopenings that 'do not follow science-based evidence, increase health risks to faculty, students&staff &interfere w/ decision-making to respond to Covid-19 infection risk.'
Legislature is also preventing the use of furloughs, requiring layoffs (9 at my small college). They're thrilled to slash the size of government, this is great to them. Wonder what our health insurance provider thinks of this.
I recall reading that Liberty University did have COVID-19 outbreak issues when it reopened and invited students to return.
neeratanden Maybe the science and engineering profs can designate all their classes as having a lab component and then specify the necessary ppe in the syllabus.🤓
neeratanden Every parent I’ve talked to said their kids either have COVID or about 50% of their friends do from going downtown
Georgia Tech faculty sound reasonable and sane. Their administration seems wildly optimistic.
Stupid is as stupid does. Aren’t college people supposed to be smart?
IamKingWilliams Think about quarantine. A student tests positive. What happens with his/her 4 or 5 classes? If they should quarantine, so should professor, and if so, classes start flipping to online quickly. We can start in person but we won’t finish that way.
neeratanden And here we thought universities were institutions of higher learning.
MadamMaiga Let's just assume that those scientists who say that the virus is airborne don't know what they are talking about. Or maybe they are all Dem hoaxers.
Wow.
neeratanden It’s Georgia - just one step above Florida.
neeratanden Unforgivable bad decision.
At least they are ‘pro-life’ just like Trump.
kathdeter
Georgia has been planned to do this they just haven’t added measure this was the plan when we shutdown it hasn’t been updated yet
Foolishness.
As a bulldawg, how about rational thought? One, teaching personal responsibility and that there are no guarantees in life. Two, this virus has little effect on youth. Three, online teaching sucks compared to engaging personally. Four, we cannot cower forever. Woof woof.
The power to require mask lies with the individual states, it is not a power delegated to the President or the federal government. In Gibbons v. Ogden, CJ John Marshall, citing the 10th Amendment emphasized the 'state has the power to provide for the health of its citizens.'
All the other GA universities should be pushing back as well.
I would transfer
The World's Biggest and Dumbest Game of Chicken.
University System of Georgia in about 6 weeks:
And parents are expected to pay for this?
THEN LET THEM TAKE THEIR DUMB ASSES ON IN THERE!!!!!
The irony. An institution where you go to gain more knowledge completely lacks knowledge.
USofC is requiring everyone on campus to wear mask while in public places. I’m still concerned.
It will also affect neighboring universities and the town surrounding the schools, not to mention a student class of nationwide super spreaders, every time a kid goes home
I have faith that my alma mater (GT) will find a way to do the right thing.
Would be a disaster
Risk of death irrespective of their testosterone ,
SEC finally tweaking educational programs out in the public now.
If they're that stupid I certainly wouldn't want a degree from them.
Good thing my kids are not going there ...
At risk? It's a guaranteed outbreak.
Protests put people at risk .
This smells like gov kemp's incompetence again.
Is it crack? Is that what they smoke?
Cc ScottGottliebMD ASlavitt DrEricDing
SuzanneSindi T_Winkleman 🤦♂️
Apparently, UGAAthletics doesn't expect to protect their football players this year. I wonder how many parents want to send their kids into a death trap? Good luck recruiting.
How insensitive to the staff members. Staff members are in the high risk groups that could easily contract the virus from the students and not do as well in recovery as the students. So unfair to staff members.
Wtf?
Oh, yeah, let’s put lots of young people in dorms and bars. Then let them infect each other and their professors. Suddenly it’s a “demographic” Georgia cares about.
That’s going to be one small graduating class.
I kinda like the idea of a lot fewer Georgians.
Wow the administration must be pretty stupid and don’t care for their faculty staff and students. Or they want to expose the professors so that they get infected and passed so that the state can save money on pensions? Is there another reason?
Faculty all over the US are boo-hooing about having to come to campus twice a week to teach classes. Meanwhile, universities expect staff to work 40 hours a week in contact with students, faculty, and whoever walks into the office.
Fools. Are they listening to Kemp?
Read text version at
Catching that Covid strain in Georgia. 🎶
Well there goes GA.⚡💥🚫
Only if professors, students acbs parents are dumb enough to go along with it.
Phil_Lewis_ It's like those 40 Principals who got together to have a dinner to discuss fall reopening classes and then they all got COVID-19. How such educated people can be so stupid is beyond me.
And ya Corona virus just don't care...
Dumb idea. They should strike.
NYGovCuomo nyuniversity samchandan
Student strike is needed.
TrumpVirusCatastrophe
I hope the students leave. Where are they going to get the money then?!
Utterly irresponsible, dangerous and ignorant to say the least.
Time to transfer out of there.
They don’t really care.
Gov. Kemp's policy decisions concerning Covid-19, go beyond incompetence and into criminal negligence.
GeorgiaFootball and GeorgiaTechFB won’t make it through a whole season if that’s the case.
No they won’t! They can wish all they want, but there’s no way Georgia will get this virus under control in a month. That pony is out of the f*cking barn. I’m hearing non-stop sirens heading to the busiest ED here in GA. We are screwed. Our economy will be shuttered by the virus
Bad decision - one the state of Georgia shall soon come to regret.
When do the lawsuits start?
Teaching....
Americans are still voting for politicians that are contributed by billionaire super PACs🤷♂️
Why? Just why?
Liberty university reopened in April and had no issues on campus.
This is ridiculous!
They will be closing campuses within 4-6 after Fall Semester starts.
I'm a college instructor. I teach at a community college in California and we have designed our curriculum to be fully online for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. There is not way that I would feel safe returning to face-to-face courses until this pandemic is under control!
Ah Georgia. I would say we were all surprisingly disappointed, but that’d be a lie.
Those brilliant Georgians.
At UG, mask are optional and stats show a percent of deaths certain
DarwinAwards
Terrible
FOOLS. FOOLS. FOOLS!
sounds about right
I hope the professors strike.
They’ll change their minds quickly when their professors quit or test positive!
Cc: FatmaMag
Blame Trump
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